unsell

American  

[uhn-sel] / ʌnˈsɛl /

verb (used with object)

unsold, unselling

1. to dissuade from a belief in the desirability, value, wisdom, or truth of something.

   He tried to unsell the public on its faith in rearmament.

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Etymology

Origin of unsell

First recorded in 1925–30; un- ² + sell ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unsell unselling unsold

He had come, too, to sell Manuel Roxas, and unsell the notion, widely propagated by U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

Brokers unsell themselves The demands that honesty places on stockbrokers can be excruciating.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Even if I can't always convince him," said one, "I feel good knowing that others won't be able to unsell him on the things he's sold on."

From Time Magazine Archive

Westerners are beginning to unsell their own states.

From Time Magazine Archive

Yuban wastes no valuable space in unselling coffee.

From All About Coffee by Ukers, William H. (William Harrison)

The private-equity industry is starving for more dealmaking activity, with a massive backlog of unsold portfolio companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Firms are sitting on almost 13,300 unsold companies in the U.S. alone, a backlog it will take almost 11 years to clear at the current pace of sales, PitchBook said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

To be fair, investors, from the smallest retail plungers to the biggest institutions, commonly “mark to market” their unsold stock and bond holdings, counting them as part of their net worth at their current prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

A lack of demand from buyers, as well as some high asking prices from sellers, have left homes in some areas unsold.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

After her shift, she takes the day’s unsold baked goods to Sunnyside Eldercare.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti